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WHERE SHOULD WE LOOK IN TIMES OF TROUBLE?
HEBREWS 4:9-16.
 

Many people today are struggling with all that life throws at them. They are finding it tough in their personal lives, in their home lives and often in their spiritual lives and to add to the ever increasing problems that they face daily, we all live in a very uncertain world economically. In such times it is not easy to press on and overcome the battles that come our way.

So what should we do? Where should we look in times of trouble?

Well in Hebrews 4 the writer encourages us to look to the Lord Jesus Christ, our all sufficient Saviour, and he says this in
Hebrews 4:15+16.

For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities ; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in times of need.

The book of Hebrews is a very interesting letter. It was written to a group of Christians who were wondering what was going on around them in the world in which they lived. Not only was their faith wavering, but some of them were at a standstill spiritually and some of them were in danger of going backwards spiritually.

So the writer turns their thoughts to the Lord Jesus Christ and he exhorts them to press on in obedience to the Word of God, and through a series of warnings and exhortations he urges the people to look to Christ and to hold fast to Him.

Why should we all do that? Well firstly:

HE IDENTIFIES WITH US

For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

There is a man in the glory today who not only represents us before the Father's throne, but He identifies with us in every circumstance of life. He knows us individually and every circumstance that we face. He knows everything we are going through, and the lovely thing is this, that He is right there with us.

We know that the Lord Jesus Christ has died and has risen again from the dead and we know that He has ascended back to Heaven and that God has given Him the highest place that Heaven affords, but He is not out of reach. The Lord Jesus Christ is actively involved in the lives of His people and He cares deeply about you and me. 

He cared enough to go to the Cross and die for our sins, for in His capacity as the only Mediator between God and man the Lord Jesus Christ took our sin upon His own body and He bore it all away. He who knew no sin was made to be sin for us. And when we grasp the depth of that love and when we realise how much we mean to Him, then we will see our circumstances in a new light. And not only has He saved us, but He keeps us. He bears us along in life, and He carries us continually on His heart.

You will remember that in the Old Testament, we are given much information about the role of the High Priest in Israel. One of the most beautiful pictures given to us is that of the High Priest wearing the Breastplate of Judgment. On that Breastplate were twelve stones bearing the names of the twelve tribes of Israel, and as Aaron the High Priest went about his duties, He was bearing those tribes with him and he was carrying them upon his heart.

The Lord Jesus Christ, our Great High Priest does the same for us, for we are near and dear to His heart. He never leaves us to face any of our battles alone. He doesn't leave us in a helpless and hopeless state. He continually bears us up and He bears us along, and in the midst of a difficult and despairing world, He is continually sustaining us. He is touched with all the feelings of our
infirmities.

And although He is in Heaven, distance is no barrier when it comes to His care for us. We have a High Priest who feels for us in all our weaknesses, and that is so comforting to know.

Edward Mote’s great hymn says:

His oath, His covenant and blood,
Support me in the 'whelming flood,
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my hope and stay.

He identifies with us. Secondly:


HE INTERCEDES FOR US.

Have you ever been in the place where life is such that you find it difficult to pray and where you find it difficult to read? Have you ever been so burdened and battered that your quiet time was the last thing on your mind? I am sure we have all been there at one time or another. Well listen again to the writer of the Hebrews in Hebrews 7:24+25.

But this man, because He continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them.

Another one of the distinctive features of the High Priest’s ministry in Israel was the fact that he would represent the people before God in prayer. He would intercede on their behalf and lay all their concerns before God. So too does the Lord Jesus Christ for us.

The Lord Jesus Christ is an unchanging and an unfailing intercessor. His ministry on earth might be finished, but His ministry in Heaven continues, for He ever lives to intercede for us. His prayers on our behalf continue in Heaven. He prays for us and that is good to know because the Lord Jesus Christ has walked this way before us. He therefore knows the dangers and the difficulties that we face and He knows the problems that beset us and the pitfalls that await us, so there is no one better to bear us up than Him.

He identifies with us.

He intercedes for us. Thirdly:


HE INVITES US TO COME TO HIM.

We read in Hebrews 4:16 this great invitation.

Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in times of need.

Because He identifies with us and because He understands us, He encourages us to come to Him and to talk with Him in prayer. Now that is a wonderful privilege and it is a privilege that God's people of old knew nothing about. Remember in the Old Testament that only the High Priest had the right to approach God on behalf of the people and only on the Day of Atonement dare he enter into the Holiest of Holies.

Yet we are a chosen priesthood, a Holy people and we are invited to come within the veil and to make all our requests known unto Him. We can come at any time and under any circumstances and we can lay hold of the throne of Grace.

We are to come boldly and that means that we are to approach Him with confidence. It doesn't mean that we come in any casual or carnal way as some would have us believe. We are to come in worship and we are to come with expectant hearts knowing that He is able to do far above anything that we can ask or think, according to the power that worketh within us.

And when we come in that way, we shall receive grace and mercy for every time of need. And you and I know that every day there are times of need and that ought to drive us to the place of prayer. Every day there is the need of Grace and that ought to drive us to the God of all Grace.

Yet if truth be told, there are times when we are so overwhelmed that we find it hard to pray and there are times when we are not doing well spiritually and we don’t feel the need to pray. Yet we must come to our all sufficient Saviour and look to Him. Sadly, we too often go it alone and too often we depend on our own resources instead of casting all our care upon Him.

The hymn writer Joseph Scriven puts it like this.

What a friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear,
What a privilege to carry,
Everything to God in prayer.

Oh what peace we often forfeit,
Oh what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry,
Everything to God in prayer.

Let’s make sure that in all the battles that we face, and in all the difficulties that come our way, that we focus on Christ, our all sufficient Saviour.


Pastor John Taylor
November 2011